Campaign speaks truth to power

Today is one of those days when the power of our national media cannot be ignored. We have spent most of the last decade debating the decline of “traditional” media such as newspapers and TV and their apparent and imminent replacements in the form of Google and Facebook.

But today’s co-ordinated campaign from almost every constituent company that would be considered part of the traditional media industry demonstrates that their influence remains vital.

The campaign shows publishers and broadcasters such as News Corp, Nine and ABC take editorial stances as part of their societal remit. Ask any journalist why they got into the business and expect to hear words such as “influence” and “making a difference”.

In contrast, the digital platforms are determined to dodge this societal responsibility despite their growing influence.

• READ MORE:Your right to know campaign

Facebook, for example, is comfortable applying its community standards to most users. It is now, however, going out of its way to signal these standards would not be applied to politicians and electoral advertising on its platform.

According to Facebook it will treat speech from politicians as “newsworthy content”. That means the platform will not fact- check political content.

“I don’t think most people want to live in a world where you can only post things that tech companies judge to be 100 per cent true,” said Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg last week.

“This new Facebook policy opens a frightening new world for political communication — and for national politics,” was CNN’s verdict on Facebook’s approach to political advertising.

“It is now the case that leading politicians can openly spread political lies without repercussion.”

And that is what is happening in the US now. Twitter and Facebook are carrying political advertising on behalf of President Donald Trump about his rival Joe Biden and his links to Ukraine that have been widely debunked even by Republican politicians.

Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren is running Facebook ads falsely stating Zuckerberg and Facebook have endorsed Trump for re-election. It all highlights the political potential to essentially get away with saying anything on the platforms.

The contrast between the media publishers that form Australia’s Right to Know and the platforms represented by Facebook, Twitter and Google could not be starker. The former is speaking truth to power and seeking to take on the government over a policy that it collectively deems to be flawed and dangerous. The latter are determined to avoid all responsibility for their content and openly acknowledge they are carrying content that might be untrue and unfit for public circulation.

And that acknowledgment adds a further distinction between the likes of Sky, SBS, Nine and News Corp from their rivals at the digital platforms.

Traditional media took a stand today against government control and for the freedom of information and access to accurate insights. Digital platforms are moving in the opposite direction by actively enabling governments and political parties to spread misinformation and avoid censure.

Today’s campaign is therefore doubly important. Firstly, because it shines a light on the unacceptable state of government media controls. But, secondly, because it shows every Australian, very clearly, who will do the shining and who would prefer to keep things in the dark.